


Since the Day We Climbed Yggdrasil

by farawaystardust



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Childhood Sweethearts, F/M, Friendship, Inspired by Music, Kid Astrid, Kid Hiccup, Movie Spoilers, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 02:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4547334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farawaystardust/pseuds/farawaystardust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Songfic set in a slightly altered universe to the two films' events. Follow Astrid and Hiccup's lifelong friendship from ages 7 and 9 to 87 and 89.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Since the Day We Climbed Yggdrasil

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [美好时光（Since the Day We Climbed Yggdrasil）](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12286908) by [Bramble_Sheep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bramble_Sheep/pseuds/Bramble_Sheep)



_She said, I was seven and you were nine_  
_I looked at you like the stars that shined_  
_In the sky, the pretty lights_  
_And our daddies used to joke about the two of us_  
_Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled_  
_And rolled their eyes and said oh my my my..._

Looking back, it was obvious. The gods themselves must have created this path for them to walk together. The two children growing up without a care in the world, while their parents considered the future. It started out small: a redheaded infant who couldn't quite understand the excitement about the brand new baby in the village, busy parents who relied on each other for support and a watchful eye. Later, the older boy was teaching the younger girl about everything from runes and fish, her blue eyes so round behind blonde bangs. Friendships are easy when you're young, and for Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson it was almost too easy.

Full of boyhood confidence, Hiccup is ready to prove he can do it. Today, he is going to climb that tree. Little Astrid is already perched on a thick branch, calling down to him. Hiccup crouches then jumps, grabbing a low hanging branch. Already breathing hard from the effort, his wobbly arms pull his thin torso up around the tree's not so thin arm. Moving to sit upright, he reaches again, and again. Astrid's laughter rings in his ears. Not harsh or derisive like Snotlout's already seems to be, but a joyful noise like running water or whistling wind.

"You can do it!" A joy to equal hers fills his spirit as he brings himself from branch to branch until finally they are sitting at the same height. Granted, it's a mere ten feet up, but when you're small, the world seems so much bigger. The sun is still plenty high in the wide blue sky, and today is one of the nicest days of the summer. Hiccup and Astrid could spend hours and hours outdoors during the slightly warmer months, as long as it wasn't hailing. Astrid leans forward from her comfortable seat and grins at Hiccup's flushed face. Already she is physically stronger than him, but she isn't going to try to make him feel badly about it. When their mothers find them hours later, still clinging to brown tree branches, the women exchange knowing glances before chuckling and bringing their adventurers home.

The days are growing shorter, meaning less and less playtime. Astrid is turning 8 tomorrow and already acts like she's the biggest, the strongest, and the best shield maiden on Berk. Hiccup secretly thinks that she could be, someday, but you just can't let almost-8-year-olds get a big ego. So he boasts about watching the dragon raid the night before from his porch (even though he had run inside after a Deadly Nadder had flown a little too close for his liking) while Astrid had been locked inside her home. Stomping in a circle in her new leather boots with her favorite belt made of tiny steel skulls around her waist, Astrid refuses to beg him for details, no matter how badly she wants to hear them. She can't believe Hiccup hadn't run to join the fighting, like she would have... Actually, she can believe it. Of everyone on Berk, Hiccup is the least Viking-like in terms of his lack of bloodthirstiness. Even at their young age, Vikings are expected to be hardy and fearless. While Astrid likes many things about her friend Hiccup, even now she knows that he will not be the ruthless killer that a chief's son is expected to be against the enemy dragons. She suddenly realizes that they've been quiet for a few minutes, staring at each other. Astrid hurriedly straightens her posture, crossing her arms in an attempt to look wider and tougher.

"Well," she begins, "if you're quite finished with that little story, I'll have you know that I still haven't gotten my hint." Hiccup always gave her a hint about her birthday present the day before, a clue that would keep her guessing until morning light. When he grinned at her, his eyes twinkle more green than normal. Astrid can't help but smile back at him when his eyes twinkle like that.

"Apparently turning 8 is more important to you than it is to the rest of us." Hiccup is always making sarcastic comments, and even though sometimes it bothers Astrid, mostly it just makes her smile. Except when he's implying that her birthday isn't important. She steps forward and punches his arm, and he cringes away from the painful blow. He wonders how a 7-almost-8-year-old can pack such a punch already. Rubbing his skinny arm, Hiccup smiles at the angry little girl in front of him and says, "I hope you don't hit me with your gift, or it will leave more than a bruise."

Astrid's eyes grow even larger as she considers the revealed information. Suddenly Finna Hofferson's voice can be heard from down the hill. Astrid wonders if she should tell Hiccup that she doesn't want to give him a bruise, that she likes to punch him sometimes but that she doesn't like to hurt him. When she confided this in Ruffnut Thorston, the lanky girl had positively exploded in a fit of giggles, barely able to spit out the word "crush." The word had been burning in the back of Astrid's mind for two days. What does one do with a "crush" anyway? Ruffnut eventually choked out her explanation, that their moms all have crushes on their dads, that's why they press their mouths together in the morning and at night. Astrid had then carefully watched each time her parents did this and it certainly didn't look very interesting to her. But it did make both of them look so happy, and if she doesn't want to hurt Hiccup, does that mean that she wants to kiss him? All of these thoughts move quickly and easily through the mind of one very intelligent almost-8-year-old.

"I think you should kiss me," Astrid suddenly announces. Hiccup's jaw hangs open then snaps shut quickly as he tried to formulate some sort of sarcastic response. "In fact," Astrid presses on, "I dare you to kiss me. It is my birthday tomorrow after all." Her friend is only an inch taller than she is, but when he takes the smallest of steps forward, it seems like he has grown a foot. Astrid crosses her arms again. Hiccup's eyes are enormous, the green appears to be shifting and changing between rows of dark, soft lashes. The next moment he squeezes them shut and puckers his lips so foolishly that Astrid can't help but laugh. She turns on her heel and sprints down the hill to where she sees her mother waiting. Grasping her large, warm hand, Astrid glances over behind her at the scrawny figure at the top, now scratching his head with a funny look on his face.

 _Well, I was sixteen when suddenly_  
_I wasn't that little girl you used to see_  
_But your eyes still shined like pretty lights_  
_And our daddies used to joke about the two of us_  
_They never believed we'd really fall in love_  
_And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes_  
_And said oh my my my..._

Toothless urges Hiccup out of bed with lots of grumbling and the occasional headbutt. As soon as his feet hit the floor, Toothless drops the adapted saddle into his still half-asleep master's lap. Rubbing his dreams from his eyes, the teenager shakes his head at the impatient dragon.

"Can't sleep in even when there's no work to be done today, huh bud?" Between training the other villagers and going to the meetings with his dad that occupied every other day, Hiccup was looking forward to wasting this entire day in his bed. Toothless, obviously, has other ideas. Maybe after a long flight and a basket of fish, his stupid reptile will let him crawl back to his fur-covered nest. Standing outside in the crisp spring air, Hiccup runs a hand through his long hair. His fingers catch on the tiny braid at the nape of his neck, and he smiles at the memory of Astrid's nimble fingers creating it. She had been telling him a story about dragon training with the young kids and the warmth of her body so close to his was both comforting and disorienting, like always. It had been years since he fell from Toothless' back in their battle against the horrible queen that lived in the dragon's nest. Years since he had lost his leg and, he was sure, any chance he had of proving himself worthy of his best female friend's romantic attention. But he is 18 now and the friendship that had begun in their childhood has only grown stronger. Astrid is his confidant and his right hand. But romance? Between her and Toothless, he knows that he is well cared for, even if both of them seem to think him too reckless and sarcastic for his own good. But lately he's been thinking of Astrid in a completely different light. Maybe it's the way Valka Haddock rolls her eyes when he rushes in the door, late for dinner, again, because he had been racing Astrid around the island just one more time. Maybe it's the way he notices Astrid's parents watching him carefully at meetings. Maybe it's their after-midnight flights over, under, and around and around Berk. Maybe-

When a large hand claps down on his shoulder, Hiccup yells and almost collapses. Stoick the Vast's booming laugh tells him that he will never be too important to be above getting teased by his father. As the large man steps beside his son, with Valka right behind, Hiccup feels a sudden gravity in the air around them.

"Hiccup," Stoick begins, "where are you off to?"

"Toothless wouldn't let me sleep any longer, apparently if we don't see the sun come up, it may not appear in the sky at all." That dragon would be the death of him if they didn't love each other so much.

"Son, we- your mother and I want to be able to talk to you today. It's rather important, but don't worry about it too much..." Stoick stumbles over his words and Hiccup can feel his stomach twisting itself into knots already.

"Ah, okay," the now taller but still thinner boy slides out from under his dad's arm and starts down the hill. "We'll be back in a little while."

In the air, it's easy to forget about being worried. Up here, there's no obligations, no duties, no expectations. Just sitting on Toothless and breathing the air. As soon as the half-finished flight suit on his bench in the workshop can be calibrated, Hiccup is sure that he'll be able to glide alongside his best friend in no time. They already developed the tail fin that Toothless can use to glide independently, now it's just the finishing touches on his own gear. The sun is half past its highest point when Hiccup realizes that he needs to get home. His dad had looked...not stern but...what's a word for serious but less...serious? Whatever it was, his parents made it clear that they needed to have a conversation. Little did he know that, in another part of their village, another father had been preparing himself for a similar conversation.

When Astrid appeared in the kitchen, Longbeard the Wise Hofferson whirled around almost knocking the food off the counter. That should have been her first clue that this evening was going to be… interesting.

"Uh, good afternoon," she looks at her father's now flushed face before moving to sit at the table.

"Good evening, my dear." She isn't necessarily shocked to hear an affectionate word from him but it still surprises her.

"So, dragon training went well today. The kids had an interesting morning. ...How are you?" She begins to recount her day, but doesn't drop his gaze, trying to figure out what could be making her tall, strong father look so anxious.

"Ah, good, Astrid, I- Well, there was something that I wanted to ask you about. You see Astrid, when- when we were your-when your mother was your age, it was- I was," Longbeard exhales, frustrated now that he can't quite articulate what he wants to tell her. It's been a lifetime coming. He told the Haddocks last night that he knew what she would say, but Valka insisted that they talk the children in a straightforward way so there can be no confusion. His 16-year-old daughter is the right age to be wed, and he wouldn't want it any other way for her, but it's complicated.

"Astrid," he begins again, "your mother and I were arranged to be married in the same year that we both turned 16. I- I haven't- there's not a contract being written as we speak, but it's important to me that- that we talk about this."

Astrid looks at her father with impossibly wide eyes. Marriage? Yes, he's right about her age being appropriate, even a little old, but... she had always wondered... Shaking her head slightly, she holds her father's gaze and asks, "Dad, will you please get to the point?"

"The- the point?" He practically squeaks and Astrid has to hide a chuckle.

"There's not a contract being written right this minute, but you're expecting one?"

"Well, before he- before we get to that part, I want to ask you about your intentions, Astrid." He looks at her as if this should have made it all clear. Strong eyebrows disappear behind blonde bangs but she says nothing, hoping that he'll expand on that thought. Luckily for both of them, Finna arrives on the scene.

"Honestly Longbeard you'd think the child was committing a crime!" With a wave of her hand, that lean, intimidating man vacates his chair for his broad shouldered, powerful wife. Astrid asks her mother what all the fuss is about. "Astrid my darling, you have had the special privilege of being the right hand of the son of the Chief of Berk since you both were babes, but things are different now. Sons of Chiefs typically marry daughters of other Chiefs because it brings tribes together. This tribe is important to Stoick, obviously, but he is also a father and he also has eyes. He has watched the two of you grow up just as we have. We, all of us, agreed that it's best to talk to the both of you to learn of your intentions so that everyone is on the same page moving forward, with or without a marriage contract. The fact of the matter is that the Haddock house would have nothing to gain from a marriage to a family of fisherman, no matter your childhoods. And furthermore Hiccup has made no move to court you nor to enter into a marriage contract."

Astrid, now understanding her father's nervous speech, looks between her mother and her father wordlessly. What can she say? What can she do? Would it make a difference if she said that she's been dreaming of marrying the son of the Chief since they were young? That even when he was a scrawny 14-year-old, she couldn't bring herself to hate him? That she pushed herself so hard in dragon training to try to forget her feelings for him because she knew it would end like this, in a conversation about arranged marriages and duty and peace between other tribes? That watching him fall out of the sky was the most horrible moment of her life? That she would have given anything to have been able to protect him? That she cried until she had no tears left at his bedside while he recovered, clutching his hand and begging him to wake up? That all these years since that glorious day (not to mention that glorious kiss) have been nothing but one amazing adventure after another, finally side by side with her best friend again? She was sure that he knew of her feelings. He had to know. She was braiding his hair and kissing his cheeks for Thor's sake, what else did he need? A dragon-flame sign on the mountain saying "I'VE LOVED YOU SINCE THE DAY WE CLIMBED YGGDRASIL"? Oh at the time she didn't understand it, 7-year-olds are hardly experts on anything, but his breathless smile and quip about how they'd just climbed the tree of life made her laugh so uproariously that she almost fell back to the ground. She thinks of the small axe mounted on the wall next to her bed, the gift he had given her on her 8th birthday, telling her with shining eyes that she was going to be the strongest of them all. It had always been like that, always so easy when they were children. She thinks back to every cold shoulder her stubborn 11-, 12-, and 13-year-old self gave him that she regrets now. But the years of healing and growth since then had made up for it, right? He could see now how much she cared for him, couldn't he? Suddenly leaping to her feet, she mumbles something about fresh air and bolts for the door.

And physically runs right over Hiccup.

Hiccup gets to his feet quickly and gulps, realizing that who has just knocked him down is the exact person he both desperately wants to see and desperately wants to avoid. Toothless is doing his best to sniff every inch of his friend, making sure that he didn't get injured. Hiccup pats his dragon's head absently. He can still hear his father's words in head. Marriage. Was it unexpected? No. Was it crazy? Kind of. Was it confusing? Definitely. Should he ask her about it? "Uh, hey, Astrid. Hi."

"Hiccup-" Astrid bites her lip but maintains eye contact. She wonders what one is supposed to say in this situation. 'So I guess we could get married maybe if you want how do you feel about it' seems a little odd, but so does this whole situation.

"We're- did you- what-" Hiccup puts a hand to his forehead, apparently unable to form sentences anymore. Toothless, standing off to the side of his two favorite teenagers, rolls his eyes.

"Marriage." Astrid cringes and almost claps a hand to her mouth. Hiccup's eyes grow wide but he doesn't look away either.

"Yeah," he finally exhales, "I can't believe it either. I mean I suppose it's a good thing dad warned me but I always thought I'd have more time."

"More… time?"

"Well yeah, you know, have more time to just be a dragon trainer I guess. I'll have more duties, including-" Hiccup thinks of his dad using the words "future heirs" and almost falls over again.

"Y-yeah," Astrid stammers, "but, it could be fun?"

"Fun?" Hiccup laughs humorlessly, pacing now. "Fun? I don't even know who she is! Yeah we probably met at some point but that doesn't- it's not the same. I guess I had always hoped I could avoid an arranged marriage because-" He shuts up before he says something he doesn't want to think about and shuts his eyes. This of course prevents him from seeing the horribly sad expressions that flit across Astrid's face when she realizes that her talk and Hiccup's talk were clearly not the same. She quickly recovers and crosses her arms. He's standing just out of arm's reach, half turned away from her, but she doesn't want to reach out and touch his broad shoulder. Not right now.

"I don't understand," she admits. Toothless notices the changed body language and tenses.

"My dad just decided that now is as good a time as ever for me to start a family, the next in the line of Chiefs and all that," he spits bitterly, his eyes still shut tight, as if the situation will just go away if he doesn't look at anything ever again. "'Sons of Chiefs marry daughters of Chiefs.' That's what he told me. That it's my duty, and I have to be willing to make it work because... I don't remember the next part something about having a happy wife... The point is that I don't even-" Hiccup stops himself again. Should he tell her? She knows how he feels about her by now, doesn't she?

"That's… a difficult situation, Hiccup." Astrid tries to hide the sadness in her voice, but Hiccup has known her for too long to be fooled. He finally opens those green, green eyes and looks at her again. "It's… sad, you know?" She tries again. It really is a sad situation.

"Sad?" He repeats. There's a flicker of hope in his chest that he quickly snuffs out. "It's downright maddening! What will happen to dragon training? And the forge? I won't be able to do anything fun again, and I'll be stuck with someone I barely know, probably forever. But that's my duty."

"Your duty." Astrid repeats him but it sounds even sadder coming from her own mouth. Toothless is looking between the two angry, sad people he cares about but he doesn't know how to help them.

"All marriages are," Hiccup continues, ranting angrily now, gesturing wildly, "I mean isn't that why you're going to be a shield maiden? Why isn't there a male version of that? That's what I'd do, if I could. Avoid marriage entirely. Not that I have a choice. But what's the point? If I'm going to be miserable, I might as well let my dad figure it out for me. At least we'll get her dowry and an allegiance with her tribe."

"Yes, good," Astrid nods and takes a half step backwards. Can she escape into her house before the tears start to fall? Toothless whines in his throat, but Hiccup doesn't notice.

"Maybe it is better if we look somewhere else, somewhere 'Hiccup the Useless' has never partially destroyed. Somewhere with attractive women who actually want to talk to me. Astrid? What-" Realizing she was out of time, Astrid turned on her heel before he had finished talking and was halfway in the door before he could think, slamming it shut behind her. Leaning against the wall, Astrid sinks to the floor, silent tears on her cheeks. Toothless glares at Hiccup before walking away, leaving Hiccup confused and twice as sad, standing in front of the Hofferson house in the growing darkness.

In the morning, Astrid doesn't feel any better. Tossing and turning all night, she could and still can hear Hiccup's words in her mind. But more important are the things that he did not say. Maybe she should talk to him today. Maybe they both just needed a little time. She quickly dresses but decides to leave her armor behind. After all, this is a war of words not of weaponry. No guarantees, though. Slipping out of her house quietly, she starts to walk towards the Haddock house when she nearly trips over a huge rock and falls on her face. When did that get there? No wait, that's not a rock, that's...

"Hiccup?" He startles awake with a grunt and sit upright, his hair even more ridiculous than normal. He looks terrible, his clothes and skin are absolutely covered in dirt and twigs. Is that a leaf in his hair? "Hiccup, what are you..."

"I was just thinking," he gets to his feet quickly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and talking too quickly, "I was thinking about our conversation. I waited for you to come back out. I- I keep going over what we said, but then I couldn't remember everything so I sat down for a minute, and…" He slept there. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III the future Chief of Berk just spent the night in the dirt outside her front door. Why? And where was Toothless?

"Um, that's-" Before she can finish her thought, the sky explodes and the rain begins to fall. Grabbing each others hand, they run to the dragon's coop behind the house. Hiccup drops her hand to pull the door open and shut again. The building is warm and smells of hay and grass, fish and dragon fire. Astrid shakes her head, the sloppy braid from the night before is undone and redone carefully, anything to avoid looking at Hiccup. He's sitting on a stool by the door, shaking the water out of his own hair. She gets a glimpse of the tiny braid... She too remembers that day. Seated practically in his lap, she talked about the first thing she could think of while all her attention was on the braid, trying to ignore his firm shoulder and long arm, his freckled neck where she could see his pulse fluttering faster than normal. His impossibly cute ear (seriously since when are ears cute?) above his hard jaw. It was clenched and she could see the little muscles... No, snap out of it. She whips around to avoid seeing that stupid boy and his stupid braid, walking aimlessly towards to opposite wall.

"Well, at least you woke me up first," Hiccup grins at her back, "It was a nice little shower though." He rubs the last of the dirt from his face, simply smearing it down his neck, and removes that leaf from its spot above his forehead.

Astrid doesn't acknowledge his sarcasm, she can't right now. "Hiccup," she sighs, "Hiccup why did you sleep next to my front door?" A crack of thunder can be heard outside.

He blinks at her. "I guess I just wasn't sure how that conversation went so wrong. Also Toothless ditched me after you left."

"Oh?" It takes everything in her not to roll her eyes, the stupidity, honestly. "There was nothing about that conversation that seemed a little off to you?"

"I- I was talking about what my dad told me," Hiccup repeats the same thing he's thought a dozen times. That's all that they had been talking about. Then she ducked inside without explanation. "You got mad and-"

She cuts him off with an angry huff. "I wasn't mad, I was… just… taken aback. I hadn't been thinking straight." She takes a deep breath. Astrid is saying what she thinks she should say, what she needs to say to remain friends with him. "You came to me when you needed someone to talk to, and I appreciate that very much. You're a good friend, Hiccup." This last part sounds a little more bitter than she intended, but she keeps going. "You have a lot on your plate and now this… Marriage business. That's what it is – business."

A streak of lightning fills the sky outside, momentarily lighting up the barn more than the small torches on the wall. Hiccup isn't sure what to say. He can see that what she's saying is forced and her face looks tight like she's trying to look as neutral as possible. Anyone else might not have noticed, but he has seen Astrid's face more than anyone, and he knows that this isn't right. "Yeah, business," he nods on her last remark.

"So, if there's anything else you'd like to say, you can tell me." Astrid knows that whatever he says isn't going to make her feel better, but if she can't be his... Regardless, she can be his friend. She can be there for him.

"I- I wish it didn't have to be this way." Hiccup says it so quietly it was almost missed entirely by her ears as hail is now pattering the roof. Astrid's heart skips a beat. Did he just- "I wish that my marriage wasn't going to be a political move. I wasn't thinking when I said all that stuff last night; I do want to be married. Yeah it's not easy but it's not miserable when the two people are happy, I mean, look at my parents, and yours. It could be fun, but instead I'm stuck with- Hel I don't even know who." He looks down at his hands in his lap. "My father told me that considering the fact that I haven't talked to him about writing a contract for a l-love match and that almost all the marriages for future Chiefs are arranged anyway, he's going to send messages out to the other tribes, to ask about eligible daughters."

"But you don't want that. Why?" Astrid is looking at him with a strange look on her face.

Hiccup swallows. "I haven't talked to him about a contract because I haven't talked to… her yet."

Astrid visibly stiffens at this. "You should get to it, then," she says briskly, "don't want her to go off writing one of her own with another man."

"Gods I hope not! I mean I haven't heard anything about- about another man." He looks almost panicked now, as if this horrifying new possibility would be the end of him.

Astrid's arms are crossed so tightly it's almost painful, but it's not as painful as seeing him worked up over some other girl. She thinks about every single girl his age in the village. Who could it be? She of course doesn't realize that Hiccup is thinking now of every bachelor above the age of 14 who might be thinking about her. After a few moments of silence, he realizes that he'll never sleep again if he doesn't have the answer. At least there's a chance if he knows who it is.

"Who will you marry?" He asks suddenly. Astrid's mouth falls open, her eyes flitting between each of his.

"Who- I- what the Hel are you talking about?" She spits at him. He looks equally confused for a moment.

"Whose marriage contract is your family writing?"

"Hiccup, I haven't had any offers. Not one." She attempts to glare a hole through his thick skull but he just looks even more confused.

"I don't understand," he wonders aloud, "Then why- what-"

"What man in the Midgard do you think is banging on my door? I have an amazing three items in my dowry! I can break any bone in a man's body! I'm- well look at me Hiccup! You seriously think all the Berkian men are lining up to woo me?" She's almost hysterical and she's not sure if she wants to laugh or cry. Hiccup is looking at her with eyes like saucers.

"I- but-" There are so many things that he wants to say. He was sure that the reason his father didn't mention Astrid was because she was spoken for, but she says she's not writing any contracts. What had his mother said? Something about duty? Something about friendship not being enough? He couldn't think straight. All of his thoughts for the past nine hours have been Astrid centered. Actually, if he was being honest, all of his thoughts for years now have been Astrid centered. What if-?

"Astrid, are we friends?" His eyes are focused now, on hers.

"Best friends," she replies without hesitation.

"Would- but-" Why is he so tongue tied right now?" "What about lately though? How many times have we kissed?" Astrid's eyes are darker than normal, they look like storm clouds. The number of kisses depends on if you're counting lips only. She has kissed his cheek and his forehead a handful of times, the latter while he was recovering from his fall and loss of limb. Her eyes flick down to his prosthetic leg. He follows her gaze and remembers the day she grabbed his shirt and planted one on him. Oh yes, he could get used to that. He wanted to, he wanted- Never mind what he wants, what does Astrid want? He stands and takes a step towards his lifelong friend. What if she doesn't want anything more than that? He has to ask. He has to. Now standing closer, he's sure Astrid can hear his heart beating through his linen shirt. She doesn't move away, instead looking at his face carefully.

"Why does that matter?" She hates how bitter the words sound.

"Because if I knew that you wanted to- if being friends isn't enough-" Even now, now when it really matters, he still can't form a sentence.

"If being friends isn't enough for me." She blinks hard, those incredibly blue eyes glassy now.

"Yeah." He breathes the word rather than says it. He's taken another half step, and they are now chest to chest. Hiccup's just getting to his growth spurt and he stands about three inches taller than Astrid, with broader shoulders too. She's lifted her chin to meet his gaze, her eyes searching his face. Suddenly, her hand is resting on his cheek and it's warm but cool and wonderful all at once. Hiccup lets his head fall into that soft hand, smiling a little. His right hand rises to brush against her left arm, hanging by her side. He's glad that she didn't wear her armor; he can see that she's breathing hard, just like he is. She blinks again.

"Hiccup, you've known me my whole life, and you really don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Gods, why are men so bone-headed?

"That I have loved you for my whole life. That if being your friend is all that you want then that's all that I'll be, but if you want-" Hiccup cuts her off with a kiss. After a momentary anger, Astrid relaxes her lips against his. Her left hand now holds his bicep, while his is resting on her lower back. Thank Freya she didn't wear her armor today. Their hearts beating madly, the kiss develops from a means to stop Astrid's anger into a means to communicate how they feel. It feels as though hours are passing by, and Hiccup and Astrid are the only two people in this world. Or maybe they're in Valhalla? After what seems like both an eternity and only one minute, their lips part slowly, hot breath mixing in the small space between them. Astrid can tell even with her eyes closed that Hiccup is smiling. She's smiling, too.

"What were we fighting about, again?" Hiccup mutters into her forehead.

Astrid cringes. "I- I think that we need to talk to our parents about these marriage contracts. There has to be a way for a future Chief to be married for a love match." She blushes now considering what she has just said. A love match. Is that what this is? One look at that silly grin tells her that it is, and she doesn't have to delve too deeply to find the same answer. Remembering her anger, she punches that bicep she was holding gently a moment ago. "And what was all that about never having fun? And duty? And avoiding marriage entirely? And "attractive women who will actually talk to you"? And we both know you're not getting a dowry from me so that's not going to make your father happy." Hiccup brushes those long bangs out of her eyes so she can properly glare at him. It doesn't hold quite the same power right now, but he's not stupid enough to think that he'll never be glared at again. He hopes that he'll be glared at by Astrid many more times in this life. He wraps both arms around her now and pulls her in the two inches to his chest. As comfortable as it always has been to hug his best friend, he knows that it will never go back to the way that it was.

Valka was teary-eyed when Hiccup and Astrid had come to their house after the hail stopped, fingers laced together with matching smiles. They summoned Longbeard and Finna to hear what the children had to say. Of course it's tradition for Chiefs to have arranged marriages, but in an exceptional case, couldn't an exception be made? It was Stoick himself who had said this, knowing in his heart that this time it was a very good idea to listen to his son. The ceremony meant to follow Hiccup's 20th birthday was cut short by a raging madman and his plan to rule the world using dragons. It had been horrible to lose his father so close to this change in his life. His father would have been able to give him so much guidance, and now he was gone. The following spring was the most beautiful in anyone's memory, with hardly any lingering frost and plenty of beautiful flowers. The statue to honor Stoick was completed in time and so Hiccup knew that his father had watched the ceremony with joy.

Hiccup wakes up with the happy memories of that perfect day on his mind. He opens his eyes to the early morning light and smiles to himself. He looks his left. There she is, the woman of his dreams. Astrid's profile looks so peaceful, but he knows it'll be active soon and unfortunately most likely in pain. His eyes move down her sleeping form to the huge mound that rests halfway to her feet. He smiles wider upon seeing it; surely he will never grow sick of seeing her so pregnant. It makes him so happy to think that soon there will be a child but for now, his beautiful wife looks even more beautiful. Of course whenever he tries to explain this to her she hits him and complains about how much pain she's in or how little or big her appetite is. But he knows that deep down she enjoys it, too. He's caught her in their large bathtub caressing her protruding stomach and talking quietly to it, and Odin knows he had the common sense to give her that moment. Astrid is stirring now, they're both early risers after all, and as she blearily opens her eyes, Hiccup scoots closer to kiss on her shoulder and cheek. Astrid grunts and puts her hand to his face, but he just grabs the hand and kisses each finger. She has to stifle a giggle and pokes his nose. She lets him get closer and raises herself as much as she can so that he can move behind her. Without that leather flight suit, Hiccup does make an excellent pillow. He rests his forehead on her left shoulder, his warm hands moving up and down her arms. She knows that he's just as anxious as he is for their child to be born. Valka had expressed concern that the baby would arrive quite early, like Hiccup had, but this was certainly a full-term pregnancy.

"Are you hungry?" is the question that gets them both out of bed. Astrid insists that she can walk (or rather waddle) down the stairs behind her husband and sits at their table while he busies himself with the wood stove. Their life is comfortable and happy and – WHAT IN LOKI'S NAME WAS THAT? Astrid doubles over the table, her lower half in excruciating pain for a few seconds before it disappears. Hiccup is at her side in a moment, grasping her hand in his.

Hours and hours spent with the midwife later, the Haddock family has gained a new member. Hiccup holds his son in his arms and thanks every god he knows, kissing Astrid's face over and over again. Somewhere in Valhalla, he knows that Stoick the Vast is warning him it's about to get crazy around here and laughing that grand laugh of his. Astrid smiles at him, and he knows they're ready for anything.

_I'll be eighty-seven; you'll be eighty-nine_  
_I'll still look at you like the stars that shine_  
_In the sky, oh my my my..._

The harvest had been plentiful that fall, meaning Berk comfortably survived another winter that was now melting into spring. It had been a long time since there was any threat of starvation, many decades since the Dragon Wars ended, so many years since Drago's threat to their peaceful land was vanquished. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago.

It is early morning, and Astrid Haddock is resting comfortably in her kitchen. It had been hers and Hiccup's for so many years that it was as familiar to her as her own hands. The well worn bench on either side of their table. The wooden doors to each cupboard smoothed by all the hands that had used them. The hearth black with soot, not to mention the sooty dragon's bed nearby. Astrid hears the familiar thump of dragons landing outside and smiles, knowing that this will be the last few moments of quiet she will have for the rest of the day.

The door seems to burst with the light of day and the energy of her welcome guests. The children call out to her as they run from the door to her big chair, and Astrid shifts forward to bring each one into her lap for a kiss. The adults follow behind, always happy to return to the place they call home.

"Momma, you were right about coming early, I just hope he doesn't notice the extra dragons in the barn." The oldest man stoops to kiss Astrid's cheek, his white beard brushing her face.

"He'll be too busy trying to find his breakfast to notice the barn, even if our dragons set it on fire!" Astrid laughed as the tall silver-haired woman elbows the man out of the way so that she can kiss Astrid, too.

"You've been here for two minutes and you're already teasing your poor father. And today of all days!" Astrid spoke up, laughing again. It made her unspeakably happy to have all of these people together. She rose to greet everyone properly, her teenaged relatives still calling to her, recounting their journeys, and sharing news. Astrid first approaches Sóma, the quiet and raven-haired wife of her eldest Andreas, who greeted her warmly.

"Astrid, we've all been looking forward to this day," she began, kissing both of her ancient mother-in-laws cheeks. "Svafa is no doubt playing her part. And Nanna and her family and Atla should be here any minute now." Andreas and Sóma's fourth daughter, Kára, also embraced Astrid.

"Not to worry, I have no doubt Hiccup is chatting her ear off as we speak." The older women laughed together, each knowing how eager Hiccup was to share any words of wisdom about being the Chief of Berk with anyone who would listen, but especially with the current Chief, his granddaughter Svafa.

A booming laugh from Andreas, who had previously been subjected to the same council, told the women that they were right.

Astrid's youngest daughter Sibba was the next to reach for her mother's arms. Andreas, Gná, and Sibba had known nothing but joy in the Haddock house. Each felt truly blessed to have had Hiccup and Astrid as their loving parents, and even when Gná became a shield maiden and left to live on another island for a time, the siblings remained very close. Berkians were living longer and longer lives (a lack of fiery deaths tends to increase life expectancy) and so the three Haddock siblings got to experience the beauty of watching their parents, their children, and their grandchildren growing older. Sibba's hair still clung to a little bit of red, Andreas' own vivid locks having turned pure white many years ago. Gna's blonde had of course became silvery in the last few years, and she insisted that it remained as blonde as it did without the stress of children in her household, but anyone who knew her or saw her doting on her nieces and nephews and their children would tell you that she really did love those children. Sibba's husband Matteus and their younger son Tomas left the forge empty for the day, never wanting to miss a chance to celebrate with their family. Their middle child and daughter Nott apologizes to Astrid for their oldest son Reginn's tardiness.

"I don't understand what's taking him so long. Maybe the twins are having trouble flying?" Nott frets as she hugs Astrid again, the much older woman gesturing as if to physically brush away her concerns.

"Never you mind dear, Reginn and the girls will arrive when they can." Just then, some other traveling family members arrived on the scene. Nanna and Atla enter the house arm in arm, their father Andreas wrapping both of them in a tight hug. Atla embraces her aunt and fellow shield maiden Gná before criss-crossing the room to hug each and every relative, followed by Nanna, Nanna's husband, and their sons. At last Astrid can hug her beautiful granddaughters, and she asks them how the weather looked. Both reported clear skies and sunshine, it would be a great day to spend outside.

"Grandma, is Papa still out with Svafa? I didn't see anyone in the square when we flew overhead." All of their grandchildren had been informed of the plan: Svafa told her Papa Hiccup the day before that she would be needing his advice today regarding some architectural issues with the dragon training building. Astrid would welcome all of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as they arrived and waited for the pair to return. Nanna and her family, Atla, and Reginn and his family would arrive from neighboring islands as early as they could manage. Svafa's husband and children and Kára, Nott, and Tomas, their spouses and their families would bring food and drink to be shared. Of course Andreas couldn't resist bringing his own food, his famous dish of seasoned sheep's meat made everyone's mouths water. Finally, once Svafa could make his hungry stomach (not to mention Toothless') wait no longer, she would bring him home to his very own surprise party. So when the door flies open again, all of the guests turned to see who it is.

"We made it!" Reginn strides into the now-crowded house behind his wife and twin daughters, shutting the door behind them. His sister Nott and brother Tomas have already pulled him in for a hug, and Astrid can hear Nott from across the room chiding him for being so late. The still strawberry blonde man attempts to soothe Nott's anxiety with another hug before greeting their mother Sibba who simply beams at them. Astrid has not seen Reginn for some months, so she is very happy to embrace him and his lovely family. "I simply can't believe it. 89! And you, you're a little more than twice my age, but you don't look a day over 60," Reginn says to Astrid. It really is hard to imagine a time when Berkians hardly lived to be 50. Astrid chuckles at his words and inquires again about the weather. She is hoping for a sunny day to go along with the happy occasion. Her grandchildren assure her that it's going to be beautiful, and begin to open the windows.

"No, we don't want him to hear us!" Astrid moves to shoo her family from the large windows with painted doors Hiccup had made to decorate the walls of their home as well as to keep it cool in the warmer months. The youngest of the teenagers began to whine that it was getting much too warm inside, but Astrid reminds them that Hiccup will be home soon. "His stomach won't be able to last much longer, and Toothless is certainly putting up a fight!"

As if speaking his name called him to her, the door of the house opened again suddenly. This time it really is the man of the hour: a balding, lean, and hungry Hiccup Haddock stands in the doorway he built so many years ago, his wrinkled eyes growing wide at the sight of so many people in his home. Not just any people, but the people whom he loved most in the Midgard.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The applause and cheers are thunderous. His great-grandchildren get there first, giving him tight hugs and kisses. There are 12 of them in all and each wants to give him their gift straight away, but they have to be patient. Hiccup kisses each of his five smiling granddaughters including Svafa, who still stands behind him, her face alight with the joy of pulling off such a surprise. He claps her shoulder and commends her for keeping such a secret under wraps all morning. His two grandsons also accept hugs and kisses from the Papa they've looked up to since they were very young. Matteus too has nothing but admiration for the man who built (or at least had a part in building) this enormous family. He has told Sibba many times during their marriage that he is very grateful to have been Hiccup's apprentice in the forge so many, many years ago. Now that he's 62, he's passed most of the hard labor on to his youngest son Tomas, but he can't seem to stay away. Sóma is similarly grateful to have been accepted into this beautiful (and very loud) family. Being the wife of the Chief of Berk was not a future she had thought possible, but it was a responsibility she handled gracefully for many years. Andreas had been every bit as kind and just as his father was before him, and he never doubted that their daughter Svafa and her heirs would carry on this proud legacy. Hiccup wrapped each of his children in a tight hug for a few moments before pulling away, and they could see that his eyes were wet. Finally, he had saved the best for last, his favorite embrace would be Astrid's. She had known him her whole life. She had loved him her whole life. She had built a house and a home with him, birthed children and raised grandchildren and great-grandchildren with him. She had celebrated their successes and mourned their losses with him. Today she had surprised him for his 89th birthday with the best gift of all: his entire family.

Astrid comfortably wraps her arms around Hiccup's neck for probably the millionth time. She rests her cheek against his, idly wondering what the total number of hugs and kisses they've shared is and deciding that it must be unimaginably large. Hiccup pulls back to look at her, and she sees in his eyes the same light that she could see when they were sitting in the branches of Yggdrasil. He bends slightly to meet her lips (for probably the millionth time) and she sighs: oh, my, my, my, my...


End file.
